"Burst tyre" gang in Glyfada: three arrests following thefts from drivers
Three people were arrested in Glyfada for thefts using the "burst tyre" method targeting drivers who had just withdrawn cash from banks.
Arrests in Glyfada for thefts using the "burst tyre" method
Three people were arrested on Monday, 12 October in Glyfada, following an investigation by the Organised Crime Directorate that uncovered a criminal organisation targeting drivers withdrawing money from banks. To Vima obtained video footage of the gang's activities, documenting the modus operandi of the network.
Members of the organisation identified their victims inside bank branches and followed them after they completed their withdrawal. They then deliberately damaged one of the vehicle's tyres. When the driver was forced to stop due to the burst tyre, a member of the gang approached them under the pretext of offering assistance. At the same time, an accomplice opened the opposite side of the car and grabbed the bag containing the money.
The organisation operated internationally: its members travelled between countries to carry out thefts and used forged documents to rent cars and apartments, with the aim of covering their tracks.
During the police operation, two foreign nationals, members of the organisation, were arrested, as well as a third person. In the subsequent searches, forged travel documents, mobile phones, jewellery and bank cards were seized.
To date, three thefts and two attempted thefts that occurred from early August to early September have been solved. According to the investigation, the two arrested foreign nationals had been arrested repeatedly abroad for similar offences, with one of them also facing prosecution in Spain.
Source: To Vima